1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the filtering of a paint component stored in a tote.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paint is generally manufactured at a paint manufacturing facility and then transported in separate containers to a point of sale, wherein each container contains one type and color of paint. Different types of paint include two or more different paint components in various amounts. The type and amount of paint components included in paint determine its characteristics, such as drying time, finish, texture, etc. Different types of paint generally have different finishes. For example, some types of paint have a flat finish and others have a high-gloss finish. Consumers often desire different types of paint in different colors, so an inventory of them is maintained at the point of sale to satisfy consumer needs. However, maintaining an inventory of different types and colors of paint is a problem because it is inconvenient and costly.
One solution to this problem is provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,221,145, 6,969,190, 7,065,429 and 7,132,470 to McClain, et al., which sets forth a paint manufacturing system that allows for the manufacture of paint at a point of sale. The paint is manufactured from paint components which are moved to the point of sale in totes. The paint components are removed from the totes and flowed into corresponding paint component storage containers.
However, one problem is that the paint component in the tote can settle if it is in the tote for a long period of time. A paint component settles when its components become unmixed and forms particles. Another problem is that the wrong paint component can be flowed into the wrong paint component storage container, which can degrade the quality of the paint manufactured with the paint manufacturing system.